Nissan Reveals Electric Sports Car Concept, Plans To Build It: Video

Nissan has given an early overview of its exhibits at the Tokyo Motor Show, to be held later this month, and aside from a new GT-R NISMO performance flagship, the standout from the start appears to be the BladeGlider, a three-seat electric sports car that looks to gliders for inspiration.

And perhaps what's most exciting is that Nissan plans to build it. The automaker is calling it a “prototype of an upcoming production vehicle that demonstrates the innovation and excitement of the Nissan brand and Nissan's leadership in Zero Emissions mobility.”

This concept, from a design standpoint, appears to be channeling aircraft as much as small, back-to-basics roadsters and superlight sports cars. With its swept-wing form and shockingly staggered track, the BladeGlider combines a narrow, wind-cheating form in front that splays out to stability enhancing width in back.

That should provide a great mix of maneuverability as well as high-speed stability; Nissan points out that the car should be capable of high-G cornering and strong acceleration, yet it will be thrifty in terms of power use.